Levo.

My baby brother turned 40 on 25^th of August this year. Everyone in my family is now 40 and above apart from the babies of course. His supuu wife and I planned a gig for him at the Zen Garden. This is truly a leafy suburb. You know that when you find your car wipers covered in leaves in the parking and bird poo on your windscreen. Its like the birds here eat queen cakes for breakfast, going by the colour of the droppings on my car. Anyway, forget the birds and back to the bash. Being in the events business I ended up being the MC. The brother paid for it in kind later that night during the after party.

I still cannot believe that this small boy who used to sneak up on our big sis and me when we were little is now 40. Now that makes me feel 50. He is solely responsible for the many lashes we got on our backsides when growing up due to our indiscretions. I prefer to look at them as our explorations, which is a good thing, right? We did not involve him in our plans, being the last-born and a few years younger than my sister and me. He became both NSIS and CID of our household and exposed our schemes severally. We could not do anything to him as the state (our parents) protected him. Impunity made at home. So on several occasions my sister and I felt like IDPs in our own home.

Levo (as we call him) went to campus solo and returned with two huge achievements, degree and Bibi. He was a double major of sorts. They now have two beautiful totos as evidence of their union.

For a long time I felt disconnected from him because he was abroad for many years and when he returned, I had to work on us bonding. He is my only brother after all. These thoughts came to me during the party as I emceed the event. I wondered whom this guy we were celebrating was.

Almost everyone had a chance to speak and sometimes I felt like they were talking about a guy I hardly know. Family and friends had all gathered there and I really enjoyed hearing all these views that people had of him. Some of his expatriate friends spoke of how he approached them at the kids’ school and said hello. Just like that. He wanted to make them feel comfortable and welcome in Nairobi. Thats the kind of guy Levo is. It was a night of many laughs as we, his relatives, spoke of the times growing up with him and stuff we did together.

I have always told my bro that he is the better man of the two of us. He is a loyal friend and very hardworking. I find him committed to a cause much more than I am. For instance, he takes his running very seriously and has conquered a few full marathons. The most I have done is 21kms half marathons. He is a model father and husband and by the way he did not pay me to say this. His Facebook friends reading this will agree with me. Levo’s faith in God is rock solid. I wish I had fewer domes with God like him.

I am glad I was not the one who went to study in America. I think I would have self-destructed. I have been accused severally of wanting to be near our mother and maybe thats not far from the truth although I will not freely admit to that. Maybe going abroad as a young man strengthened some of these attributes in Levo. Especially when he showed up deep in the shags of Stato. For a moment there I thought his summer holiday job was milking cows for the ranchers in that state. He would walk in the small town of his campus and white kids would stare at him as if his zip was open. He even got stopped by cops severally and we can all guess why. I can only imagine how very tough those times were yet he kazanad until he graduated. He lived with loneliness like a condition or ailment. Bro, hats off to you. If that were me I doubt I would have that staying power. I would have been on the next Eldoret Express (huko its Greyhound) back to Mummy.

Levi is 40 now, and I wonder what his path will take in his second half. Mine has been confusing and I’ve been stuck in halftime for some time. I feel because of his state of mind, his focus and many other attributes folks shared at his bash, he will do much better than me. Although, I have noticed a few signs of change, like he is now wearing a bowtie and showing off his slightly grey hair. Lakini Bro please spare us the suspenders. We are crossing our fingers you won’t get there.

Forty is good if it brings siblings together. We have recently had a few drinks as we caught up on maisha, shared some deep stuff and my forty – year old baby brother is becoming my close pal. I like that. Bro, keep doing what you are doing and stay focused. Keep your strong faith; continue loving that cover page family of yours and you should be able to check into your second half with less drama than some of us. You are my only brother but I feel like I have more. You are like those – buy one get one free cooking oil promos in supermarkets with a kadogo attached to the big one. You are more than a brother to Bui and me. You are a pal, advisor and role model to us and Im sure to many others too.

I won’t say the three mushy words so that he can stop crying now. baas baba baas.. Happy 40^th brother.